What!
by Link2
Summary: After Ororo's hot headedness, Monet disappears. Please R&R.
1. Default Chapter

The Storm

The Storm

The wind blew steadily. Nights like these he loved. As the sun set behind him, Eddie Brock's lust for danger and adventure got stronger. He thirsted for someone that could keep up with him. His arch nemesis Spider-Man was now an official bore (same old speeches and clone/girlfriend drama) and lately "Spidey" hadn't been up to speed at all. Eddie was now convinced. _There are millions of super people in this city; granted we create the right attraction we can find someone other than web head to mingle with tonight._ His jacket zipped up; Eddie heads out to the heart of all trouble: the Big Apple.

This night was different for her. She didn't feel that being bothered with everyone's problems in the x-house would be a suitable Friday evening. She wanted to sneak out; _by the goddess_, she wanted to get away for a moment just a moment to herself. Ororo Munroe had plotted her night of rebellious "to herself"-ness. She would head up to the attic when the Generation X kids headed to their dorm rooms and simply fly out; no African robe or hooded garment after all, she was feeling quite youthful. As a joke the Gen Xers had recently gone out and purchased a playboy t-shirt and a pair of worn looking low cut Levi's for their teacher whom they expected to bring "down to earth." Ororo could remember their breathless comments:

"Maybe she'll actually get a man.."

"She's gonna be so cool.."

"AhoooGA!"

She knew they didn't mean any harm and at times the comments were quite comical which got her thinking about a night to herself. She waited on the lobby couch for the last batch of brats to head toward their wing of the house. She had her head ducked in a book with her reading glasses on. Finally, she noticed the last student passing by; it was Everett. They made eye contact and he scurried down the hallway to catch up with the other kids. Ororo heard faintly:

"Since when does Storm where glasses?"

"Duh! Since birth daweeb!"

She giggled at Jubilee's taunts. _The bright lady; next week will be a lesson on common sense! _She hurried up the stairs to her loft like attic bedroom. In the corner neatly folded were the garments for tonight's ordeal. _What am I doing? I am not a child._ She stared at the clothing. It looked awfully ridiculous. She thought for a moment and reaching into her vanity drawer she pulled out a pair of scissors and began cutting. Ororo had never cut clothing before; at least not with a pair of office scissors. After about 10 minutes of slashing and wild styling she held the t-shirt up to her chest in a life sized mirror. _Maybe once I put it on._ Like a snake, Ororo slipped out of her clothing and threw on the cut up garments she had just made into her own. She stepped in front of the mirror again. _Goddess! _She was beautiful. Her hair shined lusciously over her face. She had rolled the sleeves of her playboy shirt and cut the ends of it revealing her six-pack with a shammed glisten. Her jeans were low cut. They uncovered her small waistline and showed off two thong straps courtesy of Paige's earlier shopping spree. Slipping on a pair of black boots she wonders where all the nightlife could be. The theater wouldn't be too heavy with a crowd and everyone had been ranting about Swordfish. With a simple thrust of her hand she opened the sky lit window with a faint wind and she was off.

_Swordfish huh? This should be fun. We haven't been out in a while. _Eddie stood in line until he couldn't take it anymore. The bloodlust had gotten stronger. Almost unconsciously he went off with rage. The black goo had already seared passed his face and within seconds had taken over his physical appearance. Eddie Brock was now the infamous creature known as Venom! The crowd shrieked uncontrollably. He had never been so satisfied. Venom engulfed the sounds of terror with open arms. His face lit up with a gremlin smile composed mainly of razor sharp teeth. Covering the movie theater in webbing he laughed; like a kid in a candy store Venom was overly excited as he entered the theater to sit atop his new kingdom.

Ororo walked the streets like a beautiful lost princess, though she wasn't lost at all. Horns honked and people shrieked in excitement. She hadn't heard the cries of a person pleased in years; they were always screaming to be rescued by a white haired goddess sautéed in the tightest of black clothing. Her face lit up with the brightest smile. Though she couldn't see herself she was well aware that it was beautiful (and somewhat painful), mainly because of the car full of horny youths honking and whistling at her. Over whelmed at first, Ororo stopped in her tracks, but she was only uneasy for a moment: _Just one night._ She proceeded to strut like no other black hero. Shaft. Foxy Brown. They had nothing on Ororo Munroe. With a simple wave of her hand she could send the largest twister ever known to man flying through Manhattan or navigate the sewers to kick some underworld ass. By now one of the youths had gotten out of the car and was following Ororo down the street. She blushed. _What is this feeling?_ It was flattery. He caught up and put his arm around Ororo. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed his clear skin. He must not have been so young after all. She simply continued down the street. His remaining friends from the car screamed louder. Ororo put her hand to her forehead and let out a banshee's laughter. She was tickled with excitement, yet her heart raced with nervousness. He grabbed Ororo's hand and pulled her down the nearby alley:

"Hold on a sec. Let's lose these clowns."

His voice was smooth and tempting. Chunks formed in her throat. They hid in the shadows as his friends drove by looking for them. He wrapped Ororo's arms around him. She was now shaking uncontrollably.

"It's okay. I don't bite."

He put his head in Ororo's right shoulder and breathed deeply. She took a deep sigh and waited. It was so great to have her hands wrapped around something other than a book or plant _or troubled X-Man._ Finally he looked up and slowly pulled Ororo to his side. Peaking around the corner he exclaimed:

"Coast is clear."

He grasped her hand once again and pulled her out in the alley with the greatest of ease. His black hair shined slightly as he turned to look at her. His big brown eyes glistened in the dim streetlight. He was clearly Puerto Rican in decent; yellow skin, bright red lips and the heart of a prince (so she hoped).

"Sorry about that. I've been waiting all night to get away from those guys."

He stuck his arm out to shake her hand:

"I'm Chris."

He said with a blinding smile. His beauty was uncanny and he was the perfect gentleman. Ororo dropped her head and began to blush. Her face lit up with a bright, innocent smile as she raised her head again. He was about her height and a tight Gap shirt revealed his well developed pectoral muscles. 

"I'm Stor—uh—Ororo. Pleased to meet you."

He looked at her strangely. It had been so long since she had introduced herself as something other than a super heroin. 

"Well it was nice meeting you Ororo. Hopefully we can meet on better terms next time."

He said as he turned and began to walk down the street slowly. He was not at all what he seemed. She was expecting a thug or at most a pickpocket. _Goddess not a pickpocket!_ She thought as she tapped her breast strap to make sure the cash was still there. It was. She looked up at him walking down the street. He turned around quickly and smiled at her as he continued down the street walking backward. In the midst of that ordeal Ororo noticed that she was only a block from the theater. Chris was directly in front of her and apparently headed the same way. He had become her eye candy. She followed like a lost puppy, but not on purpose after all, she was headed the same way. Ororo turned to look behind her and as she turned back around she noticed that Chris had disappeared! He was nowhere in sight. She hurried to maybe catch a glimpse of where he was. As she ran she noticed him entering the theater through an exit. _He's sneaking in._ She ran quickly, but the door was closing; with a quick thought her eyes were whitened and she was lifted from the ground, flying toward the door at a speed unmatched. She stuck her hand in the doorway and entered.

"Ororo?!"

Chris yelped in surprise. She stood cocked to one side, one eyebrow in the air. Though he was surprised, Chris was still set on seeing Halle Berry's breasts at a discounted price.

"Christopher this is—"

Chris took his pointer finger and put it to Ororo's lips.

"Shhhhhh."

He threw his head sideways signaling for her to follow him further. He grabbed her by the hand and guided her into the main room. They snuck quietly down a long hallway lit only by the bright red exit sign at the opposite end. _What am I doing? Sneaking into a movie theater with a child. Ororo if your mother could see you now. _She shook her head, yet by now they were in the theater and what their naked eyes caught in its field of vision was more than what either could handle. Ororo had never seen a human brain before at least, not strung up and down two theater aisles and in the dozens. Chris on the other hand had lost his dinner. He was bent over in front of Ororo ridding himself of the 2-pepperoni slices he had at Luigi's. As he looked up he felt himself flying further away from Ororo and hitting a nearby wall; unconscious. 

"Whatta catch you are sweet thing. What's your name?"

Venom had extended himself and was wrapped around Ororo. He looked her directly in the eyes. She resisted yet there was nothing she could do. His teeth were stained perfectly with the blood of innocents and he planned to stain it with a little more.

"C'mon don't be shy honey. You're just going to end up like the rest of them anyway."

He grinned and looked at her a bit harder._ Where have we seen this girl? _His huge white eyes squinted a bit yet it was too late. If the hair wasn't a dead give away the lightning bolt that sent him flying into the lobby and smashing the artificial butter-flavoring machine should have been a dead ringer. Covered in butter and being pursued by a white haired black mutant, Venom laughed.

"What? Were you with that guy? Did you have a date? You are Storm right?"

Venom laughed uncontrollably. Ororo's eyes were now solid white. She began walking toward Venom with a wind as strong as any hurricane flowing with her. The theater's windows smashed. The front doors blew open. Venom was suddenly lifted from the ground and carried out yet before Ororo could guide him toward something hard and painful he spun a web and was off into the night. Her first instinct was to fly out after him. _Chris! _She hurried back into the theater and found him still unconscious. What to do with him now; she had the most rebellious idea to fill her head that entire night.


	2. Kyo

Kon Ya

Kon Ya 

She flew as fast as she could. Ororo cradled Chris in her arms as if he were a child. She spotted the mansion and her loft like apartment in the attic. The window was still wide open as she left it. _Good! _Steadily she came near to the shiny hardwood floors yet not touching them and gently placed Chris on her king sized bed like an angel. She stared at him as she floated backwards. _Goddess what a beautiful creature. _Not paying attention she bumped a small tower near the door to the staircase leading down to the house knocking over a small bonsai she had nursed for years. The problem was, though the plant was small it was surrounded in a large fountain Illyana had made for Ororo before she died. The crash carried a mild loudness and which set of super sensitive X ears would hear it first Ororo could only await. The crash after all, did surprise her. She stared in awe at the water now covering the floor and the plant that could be saved had she put forth some effort to rescue it. Her feet hit the floor as softly as a cat's. She spun around with lightning speed to see if this unfortunate racket had disturbed her guest. Chris was still out cold. She sighed with relief and turned back around to find Monet St. Croix staring down her throat.

"Monet!"

Both startled they took a step back. Monet's face lit up like the brightest bulb in a series of Christmas lights. She had never seen her teacher, her idol like this before. At first glance it was the most hilarious thing, but suddenly she came to respect Ororo as much more than a teacher or a super powered heroine yet now she saw Ororo as a person. She was known throughout the house as a 'bitchy little brat with no feelings', which wasn't so much verbal as she thought, but at this particular moment in time Monet could not hide anything. She was dumbfounded, excited and relieved to find that the one mutant in the entire X house that had never been remotely romantically linked to anyone since the 80s was now coming into the light. Monet wiped her eyes. _Please don't let me be dreaming._

_ _

"Storm?"

Her first instinct was to blow the child back down the stairway and mind wipe her first thing in the morning using the Shi'ar technology only she and Professor X knew about. Yet just as her pupils began to milk, she noticed the gleeful look on Monet's face.

"Is something amusing to you Miss St. Croix? I would suggest you get back to bed before you find yourself with a curfew violation."

_How can she be so mean? _Monet turned around and headed back down the hallway. Before she was even halfway down the steps Ororo had called to her—

"Monet! We'll talk in the morning."

Ororo said with a tap on her nose and a smile. As Monet disappeared down the hallway Ororo's face filled with a smile. _Maybe she is not as bitchy as everyone makes out._ Ororo shrugged and headed to the infirmary.

Ke SA 

He had gained consciousness earlier the night before. What accompanied it was exhaust. Chris opened his eyes the sun shining brightly in his brown eyes. He squinted. Rolling over he realized he was not in a domestic place. He immediately rose from the large quilted blanket but was pushed back down by a violent pain in his head. He moaned in disgust. He hated being hurt, being immobile for any period of time. He looked around with only his eyes, for moving his head resulted in intense pain. From his observation he gathered that he was high in the air. _Maybe in a loft or top floor apartment. _The next question was whether he was a hostage or simply delirious. _Maybe this is my apartment. Maybe I came home last night, cleaned up a little and dosed off to sleep. _His head hurt at the thought of a lie. He wished it were true, but deep down he knew it wasn't. He lay in the bed creating scenarios for why he was where he was not bothering to sit up or scream for a little help. Finally he came to a conclusion: _this is another of the guy's jokes. _He tried to go over the events of the night before. _I could have sworn I ditched them last night. _He thought harder. _A girl! There was a girl…we snuck into Swordfish and..and…_A door opened somewhere. He could hear it. _Footsteps getting closer. _His heart raced at the thought. He hopped out of the bed and grabbed a large sword hanging from the nearby wall. He held it in _ungarde_ position. The door directly in front of him opened. _The girl! It's her. Ororo. _He dropped the sword. Chris had already been a sucker for a pretty face. Whether she was a kidnapper or not she could do whatever she wanted to him; he had no objections. Chris studied her face; she was startled and carrying a tray with what looked like breakfast food on it. She nearly dropped it, but Chris reached out to help her and hit the ground himself, yet saving the food.

"Are you okay? I did not expect you to awaken this early."

Ororo said as she placed the tray on a nearby table and helped Chris back over to the bed. His eyes were as bright as they had been last night under the street lamp. She wanted so badly to embrace him, but his constant moans of pain killed the moment. 

"I brought you some breakfast. I thought you would be hungry."

Ororo said covering him in the blanket. She knew she couldn't keep him here forever. Trapped in a mansion full of super heroes could drive a person crazy. Chris smiled at her. Staring directly into her large blue eyes he reached up and placed her hair behind her ear.

"Thank you."

Eddie Brock was sad. His night had been cut short thanks to an X-man and he only slaughtered one crowd. Remembering the screams his face suddenly fills with a smile as he stands over the copy machine. He looks up to notice a picture of Spider Man on the wall. _I wonder where Parker is anyway. Probably out taking pictures of himself. _He opens the large top to the copy machine and snatches the papers from underneath. Where the copy came out he places a small smudge of webbing with high hopes that Parker will catch the clue and come spinning to the position marked on the copied map. He had gotten it from the net after going back to the theater and finding Chris' identification to pinpoint tonight's site of excitement and brutal screams of mercy. Brock had only gone back to the theater to photograph the many fatalities he was responsible for the night before; a set for his personal collection and a set for the paper. _If Parker can take pictures of his work, so can I._ He immediately threw on his jacket and headed out to Chris' apartment.


	3. Back Home

"I'm sorry

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

She screeched. Rogue tossed like a mad woman. It was nothing new to Ororo who had seen her friend like this day in and out. Suddenly Rogue took to the air; still in her nightmare. Ororo knew not to wake her, but _this is too much!_ She called upon a small relaxing wind and guided it toward her friend's face. Rogue's eyes widened.

"Storm? Ah.."

She fell violently to the ground rumbling the room.

"Ah'm sawrie. Ah don't know."

Ororo smiled.

"I am the one who is at fault. I woke you to ask for a favor."

Rogue looked up. She stood immediately to her feet. Ororo had never asked for a favor before; she was always the distributor of advice, favors and counseling throughout the X house, which is why hesitation never crossed Rogue's crowded little mind.

"What is it sugah?"

Ororo snatched the words from her mouth before they could come out. She had never felt this way before; ashamed. Her shame made her want to lock herself up in that attic and rain her sorrows into her plants. She gazed down at the floor. Ororo felt reduced to what she had been so long ago. She could have easily taken the keys to Rogue's car and been gone before anyone knew anything. She refused to entertain the thought.

"Can I borrow your convertible?"

Rogue's face lit up. 

"Sure thing sugah!"

She screamed with a wink. She practically threw the keys at Ororo. _That was easy. No questions asked. I could get used to this asking people for things. _Ororo joked with herself. She thanked Rogue and exited her room. On her way she had another thought. _Monet!_ She rushed to the girl's room and violently opened the door in hopes that the others would be around. She was in luck; Jubilee, Paige and Marrow were all crowded around her bed gossiping about Cannonball. Paige told them how he acted back home before he left to train for X-Force while Jubilee and Marrow gawked in awe. Monet sat on the bed pretending to be interested. Her mind was elsewhere.

"Monet St. Croix come with me."

Ororo shouted in a stern tone. Monet's eyes grew at the sound of freedom. She knew what her teacher was doing and she had no objections.

"But.."

Ororo shouted above her before she could say anything. Thunder filled the sky backing her voice.

"No buts young lady!"

Monet got up and threw on a small jacket. She didn't care what she wore as long as she got out of this room filled with sugary pop loving, boy gossiping little brats! Monet threw her head down as if to look ashamed and exited the room. Ororo looked down at the girls all staring at her with fear in their eyes. She raised her right eyebrow at them and quickly slammed the door. 

"'Bout time somebody did something with that girl!"

Jubilee exclaimed as they all began to laugh at Monet's misfortune. In the hallway Ororo walked with attitude as if she were planning a severe punishment for Monet. Monet played along with her head down until they got up to the attic. A few students had gathered at the bottom of the stairway to the attic gossiping about what was happening to Monet up there. Suddenly a lightning bolt flew down the hallway scattering them all to their rooms like roaches.

"Storm's gone mad!"

Jubilee shouted as she ran to her room. In the attic Monet and Ororo split their sides in laughter. Chris suddenly came around the corner.

"What's so funny?"

Ororo and Monet looked at one another and began laughing hysterically again.

"Well since no one will tell me what's going on I'll just see for myself."

Chris said as he reached for the door. Ororo stood in front of it.

"Just Monet and I being silly. Let me introduce you. Chris this is a pupil of mine her name is Monet St Croix."

He and Monet's hands met and suddenly he blacked out again.

"Monet!?"

Ororo squealed with a whine.

"Well did you really think you could get him through that circus downstairs while he was conscious?"

Ororo thought for a moment. She could have Monet use her empathic powers to trick the other students, but the very little gossip queen she was trying to pass up was a psych blocker like herself.

"Jubilee!"

Ororo said her name as if to curse it.

"What? Jubilee's just as simple minded as the rest of them."

"She can see straight through your image inducing abilities. Goddess! This is harder than I thought."

"I have an idea."

Monet said with a smile.

*

Eddie stuck his finger out to ring the doorbell. Ding! A short blonde haired boy answered the door.

"Hi is Christopher Negron around?"

"Sorry dude we haven't seen him in the passed day or so."

Eddie smiled as his villainous counterpart covered his face.

"It's okay. I'm expecting him!"

The blonde boy yelped in surprise with a slight hint of disgust. He tried to slam the door, but Venom sent a black sickle stabbing through his chest. The boy hollered in pain as Eddie tossed him into the living room. He slammed the door behind him.

"John! John don't slam the door man we can't afford…"

Another boy was shouting from the catwalk directly in front of Venom. When he noticed the black liquid like creature standing in his entryway his mouth dropped open. He ran for his room, but Brock was already on the catwalk blocking it.

"You boys have a nice place here! Say.."

Venom started with a smile as he pulled the boy close.

"Since you seem to be short one can I be your new room mate?"

The boy's eyes filled with fear. He began to stutter, but Venom covered up his mouth.

"Not my kinda pad anyway. Too classy."

Venom said comically as he tossed the boy over the catwalk on top of his friend. He proceeded to search the other rooms. Once he got back down to the first floor and into the kitchen he noticed an excessive amount of breath coming from a cabinet. He quickly swung it open and out came a screaming brunette female. She scurried under his legs and out into the open kitchen. Venom turned around slowly._ Wow these guys get play._ She cried as she crawled until Venom leaped into the air and blocked her path. He lifted her into the air by her throat.

"What's a pretty little girl like you doing in a place like this? Mom wouldn't be too happy."

The girl gasped for air. Before her last breath she was able to spit out a sarcastic remark.

"Oh really?"

She kicked him in the groining as hard as she could. He dropped her and fell to his knees. Whether a morphological being or not, Venom was still a man and every man had a weakness. She ran to a nearby countertop and grabbed a large craving knife. She turned around to find Venom directly in her face. His long, razor sharp teeth dripped with drool. She lunged at him with the knife, but he caught her wrist and was now holding her from behind; her arms pinned behind her back and his tongue caressing her neck.

"I love a woman who can defend herself. Then again, no I don't!"

He said as he sent the knife splitting through her back. He let her go as she coughed up a few spats of blood. She turned around toward him and with her last ounce of strength laid a fist across his face twisting his neck. He turned his head back around.

"Awwww that was cute."

With all his might Venom back handed the girl and sent her flying through a glass window in the kitchen.

"Time to clean this mess up. Chris'll be mad if he comes home to a messy house."

*

"Hang a left right here."

Chris instructed Monet as she handled Rogue's convertible as reckless as any teenaged driver. They pulled up in front of the house. Only Chris and Ororo got out.

"Thanks for everything Ororo."

Chris said as he grabbed the bandages on his head. Ororo blushed. She was even cuter now than she was the night he met her. He wanted so badly to ask, but _what would someone this beautiful with a mansion the size of NYU want with me? _

"Your welcome Christopher. I…"

He lifted his pointer finger to her lips and looked directly into her blue bulb eyes.

"It's just Chris."

He said as he planted the softest kiss on her lips that she had ever felt. She didn't bother to pull away; instead she embraced it. Before long they were both in a moment of pure ecstasy.Their tongues touched and almost instantaneously ripples of pleasure shot through Ororo's body. _Goddess I can't let him go. _They both pulled away slowly.

"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have…"

Chris began, but Ororo cut him off with another small peck.

"Can I call you sometime?"

Ororo nodded. Chris unlocked the door and Monet watched them both disappear into the darkness of the house. _This is so awesome. He is major league cute. I'm so happy for her. Oh no! I'm starting to sound like a certain little psych blocker. What a brat?_ Monet suddenly picked up on a stray thought. It wasn't a good thought, but it didn't involve pleasure of any kind or at least, not the kind of pleasure she could understand. She took the keys out of the ignition and headed up the walkway toward the house slowly. _Storm! Ororo are you okay? _No answer. Her first instinct was to contact Jean because she was the only one that would keep this secret a secret, but she thought she had spent enough time studying with the most desired woman in the X house to face a psychopathic killer._ Maybe._ She opened the door and reached for a light switch. Blood covered the lobby of the house. A head here, an arm there and directly in front of her, yet deeper into the house stood Ororo at the mercy of Venom!


	4. Monet vs Venom

"W-who?"

Monet stuttered.

"Venom! V-e-n-o-m. Geez, don't they teach you kids anything over there at Xavier's?"

Venom joked as he extended a punch to Monet! She was now flying violently back out of the house and wondering why she just stood there and let that happen. _Damn you're slippin M. _

"Alright Stormy, let's discuss what I'm gonna do to you and you're lil' papi friend here."

Suddenly Venom hears a crackling sound. _Sounds like lightning, but Storm's unconscious. _Almost instantaneously, he sees its origin; a pink lightning bolt! _Wha?! _

"Ahhh now I remember who you are."

Monet exclaims as she makes her way through the front door calmly; lightning encircling her as if to protect.

"Eddie Brock. A photographer for some second rate newspaper in the city. Controlled by an alien leech to cure your blood lust and thirst for revenge against Spider-Man."

Confused and baffled, Venom drops Ororo and begins to step back.

"That's about the gist of it."

"Hmph. Well, this here is something like a psychic lightning bolt. When I hit you with it and I will, you and your leech are gonna separate. Basically you'll be damaged goods."

Venom leaps into the air, but Monet is ready. Despite her psychic abilities she still possesses super strength as well she proves when she sends Venom flying across the room psychic bolt enforced.

 


	5. Symbiote Freed

Monet rushes to Ororo's side.  
  
"Ororo! Ororo wake up!"  
  
Monet screams as she shakes and wobbles her teacher back to conciousness. sssssssch. Ororo begins to regain conciousness. Vision is blurry at first, but within moments she can make out one of her students pleeing to her. ssssssssssch. Suddenly Ororo sends a violent wind at Monet blowing her across the room and onto a nearby couch.  
  
"Back demon!"  
  
Ororo shouts. Monet is in awe. Why is she attacking me? What did Venom do to her?   
  
"Storm no! It's me, M. You were attacked by Venom and-"  
  
Before she can finish her statement, Monet is trapped within the eye of a whirlwind engulfing Chris' living room. C-can't breathe...have to contact..J-Jean. Overwhelmed with fear, Monet loses conciousness; her body floats violently with the wind.   
  
"I cast thee out vile creature of darkness!"  
  
Ororo commands as she releases the tornado into the depths of the sky. Suddenly she sees a body falling back toward the house. Who? Ororo takes to the sky as fast as she can. Closer. Closer. The body appears to be that of Chris. She grabs him and sinks slowly to the ground in front of the house.   
  
"That's one hell of a PMS you're going through. Remind me never to piss you off."  
  
Chris exclaims with a smile.  
  
"Are you alright? Can you walk?"  
  
Ororo asks.  
  
"It's not e'ryday that I'm flying in tornadoes through my living room so I'm still tryin to come to terms with it, but other than that I'm fine."  
  
Chris says as he tries to rise. Ororo helps him to his feet. Seeing the bodies of his roommates and friends Chris falls violently back to the ground. He crawls to a nearby patch of grass and begins to regurgitate. Ororo runs her hand softly across his back.   
  
"Chris, I'm sorry. If it weren't for me..." Monet?!  
  
Ororo looks around. She psyche whispers it seems to no end. Monet does not respond. Jean. Jean if you're there please. By now Chris is recuperated and staring at Ororo in awe as she stands erect, eyes closed and in deep concentration.  
  
"Ororo? Are you...okay?"  
  
Ororo ignores him and continues her plea for Jean. By the Goddess, Jean. Can you not sense my cries for help?   
  
"Ororo?! Not so loud. You're not the only mind in New York."  
  
"Jean. I cannot find Monet. She was here with me and-"  
  
"Hold on a moment. That's odd. She's very faint. As if someone else is using her mind. I'll join you as soon as I can Ororo. Oh, and tell Chris it would be a good idea for him to stay there. This night doesn't seem like it's going to get any better."  
  
"Thank you Jean."  
  
Ororo opens her eyes to find Chris sitting down and looking up at her as if he were a lost puppy. Her first reaction is to comfort him, but she feels she has already done too much.  
  
"Do you have a place to stay for the night?"  
  
Ororo asks Chris gently. He looks back down at the concrete.  
  
"Yeah. My cousin's place."  
  
Chris responds almost as if he's afraid.  
  
"I can drive you if you'd like."  
  
Chris looks back up at Ororo with a smile.  
  
"I was thinking I should start getting use to the flying thing."  
Back at the mansion Jean slips out of bed. She doesn't bother changing and simply stays put in one of her husband's large t-shirts. She hopes that she can simply use Cerebro to find Monet and call it a night. Maybe Monet's go a sleeping disorder. She glides into a corner of the room and with the god blessed talent of telepathy she activates the elevator to the bottom floor of the mansion she whined to the professor so hard about. As Jean descends the bowels of the school with an underground training facility built from the finest in alien technology, she rememembers begging Charles Xavier, her mentor and father figure for easy access to the mutant locating super computer called Cerebro. He couldn't be bothered with such matters at all times; it was time for herself, Ororo and Scott to take some stress off of the man who has done so much for them.  
  
"M, I know you're out there. MONET!"  
  
Jean Grey believed she could put certain images she had seem with her eyes to rest; the death of her clone, the death of her son, Strife and the visions of Illyana Rasputin struggling to stay alive inside of an oxygen bubble after exposure to the legacy virus. Images she had seen in her mind were a slight bit harder to let go of and she had never been as angered or fearful of one until this night. Jean removes the helmet as quickly as she can and suits up. She hits an emergency start up switch on the wall via telekinetics to start up the Blackbird. On her way to the jet she is hit with a wall of emotion. It almost knocks her down, but it's just the right gesture to awaken her husband.   
  
"Jean what is it?"  
  
"Scott. Nothing. A bad dream. Get some rest my love."  
  
Jean says as she boards the jet and heads to Ororo's location. 


End file.
